There’s no such thing as a coincidence. Today, several significant moments come together: for one, we are at a new phase with our very well-received blog, FH Out Front, secondly, I find myself starting off as a proud and happy contributor for it, and finally, we have very important news to share with everyone regarding the considerable ground that has been gained in terms of civil rights for Latin America’s LGBT community, and the especially interesting case of Mexico.
Allow me to offer some background information on myself. My name is Vera González, I am Mexican, I am gay, and I am the Healthcare, Nutrition & Lifestyle Practice Vice President for Fleishman Hillard’s Mexico office. I joined the Firm five years ago, and it’s worth noting that this is my second tenure with the office, because I first joined FH sometime back in 2000. I am a nutritionist and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Mexico City’s Universidad Iberoamericana and completed post-graduate studies in this field in London. However it’s safe to say that what I know regarding PR, I learned mainly at FH.
It was the tremendous power of communications, as well as the notion of being able to shift perceptions and educate audiences, that gave me a whole new perspective on what to do with my life, and I decided that I would work in my field taking on a non traditional approach – one that would take me beyond the medical office or perhaps even a hospital, using communications strategies instead to promote a healthier lifestyle precisely through our clients.
Through my collaborations, I’ll be discussing some of the most relevant issues affecting our community from the Latin American perspective, particularly, the Mexican point of view.
Now, would you allow me to give you a preview of what you can expect? As it turns out Mexico is elegantly and decidedly coming out of the closet onto a global stage, in what is in fact, a surprise for many. On August 10, the country’s Supreme Court resolved a potential unconstitutionality conflict and upheld the endorsement of gay marriage in Mexico City! And the good news doesn’t end there. Just some days ago, this very same Mexican high court declared a separate trial as unfounded, one that was being promoted in a second intent by the country’s Attorney General Arturo Chávez, (a member of the conservative and incumbent PAN (Partido Acción Nacional political party). His initiative was to deny adoption rights to same sex couples, legislation which had in fact been approved for months in Mexico City. What finally happened was that once again, the high court upheld their decision.
Gay Flag and The Angel of Independence, an iconic monument in Mexico City (Courtesy of SXC)
These are all tremendously relevant facts opening hopeful doors and setting up great expectations for the LGBT community in Mexico. These are also facts, which I personally hope will resound throughout the world. Separately, but also along these lines, they represent great premises in terms of marketing. Given the new-found openness, one stands to believe that many brands who used to draw a line in their communications towards the LGBT community, might now in fact take on a broader perspective.
And so, we are living in exciting times!! And even better ones lie ahead!! Please stay tuned,
We’ll be in contact again very soon! Hasta la vista!!
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